Cheryl Myers, RN, is an integrative health nurse, author, and expert on natural medicine. She is a nationally-recognized speaker who has been interviewed by the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal andPrevention Magazine. Her many articles have been published in such diverse journals as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Nutrition in Complementary Care, and her research on botanicals has been presented at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Menopause Society.

You’ve heard of the French Paradox – French people eat a diet high in fats but have half the heart disease of Americans – partly because of the wine they consume with their meals. It turns out that it’s not just wine that provides health benefits. Grape SEEDS do too!

Grape seed extract is extremely rich in antioxidants and oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs). OPCs can help normalize high blood pressure, protect the blood vessel walls from damaging free radical activity, and prevent the dangerous oxidation of LDL cholesterol—one of the first steps on the road to a heart attack or stroke.

“There’s a lot of promising research using grape seed extract for aiding in the treatment of cancer,” says natural health expert Cheryl Myers, RN. “It has been found to help inhibit tumor growth, stop inflammation, and prevent oxidative damage. And, it may make chemotherapy more effective. The tricky part is getting OPCs that are small enough to be absorbed. Some grape seed extracts contain tannins which are too large to be absorbed (but technically count as OPCs.) They are like Great Danes when you really need a Chihuahua. Tannin-free grape seed extracts with small OPCs are the best.”

Susan Steinberg is an Emmy Award winning writer, director and producer best known for her work on PBS series American Masters. She has produced and directed documentaries on Paul Simon, Edward R. Murrow and the founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun.

Since moving to London in 2004, Steinberg was drawn to the international and overwhelmingly female art scene. With her experience as a biographer, she set out to make a collective biography over the course of four years.

The result is a film about ten extraordinary artists: Mirrors to Windows: The Artist as Woman.MIRRORS TO WINDOWS: THE ARTIST AS A WOMAN, the new feature documentary set in the vibrant London art scene, recently made its U.S. festival debut at the 11th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival on Saturday, October 17 at 8PM at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills.

Directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Susan Steinberg, MIRRORS TO WINDOWS: THE ARTIST AS A WOMAN follows the trajectories of three generations of women artists, ages 22 – 82, from the studio to the gallery, giving a rare insight into the lives of ten artists working across diverse mediums, united by an enduring belief in themselves and their work. While the artists hail from Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, the UK and United States, MIRRORS TO WINDOWS weaves their unique perspectives in art to tell the multi-faceted story of an artist’s life.

Filmed over a period of three years, director Steinberg takes the audience on a fast paced yet intimate journey behind the gallery walls to reveal the dynamic nature of this enigmatic calling. Taking advantage of both her 30- year career in documentary filmmaking and her training as a psychotherapist, Steinberg delivers a lively and attentive portrait of ten courageous and dedicated artists, who stories are universal.

“In ‘Mirrors to Windows’ my aim was to make an intimate film about an artist’s life, a film that would leave the audience feeling they were dropping into the artists’ studio," Steinberg says. "With ten main characters, this was not an easy task, yet those who have viewed the film have commented on its intimacy, which was accomplished by a long production schedule."

She spent three years filming characters in their studios preparing for and setting up their exhibitions and developing close relationships with each and every one of them. To create an environment that would lend itself to intimacy, for the first time she shot the studio material herself.

Susan Steinberg is an Emmy award-winning writer, director and producer, best known for her work on the PBS series “American Masters” where she produced and directed documentaries on Paul Simon, Edward R. Murrow and Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records. She began her career as an editor on “Gimme Shelter” and on Robert Frank’s notorious film, “Cocksucker Blues.”

According to New Yorker Magazine writer and theater critic John Lahr: “Susan Steinberg has made a terrific, probing documentary about international female visual artists. She follows ten artists, well chosen both for their work ad their personalities, in a cunningly, well- organized fashion. It’s an extremely well-told, full length film that I admire.”

The Film Follows an International Cast of Women Artists Forging Their Careers in the Heat of the London Art Scene.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MIRRORS TO WINDOWS: THE ARTIST AS A WOMAN, the new feature documentary set in the vibrant London art scene, will make its U.S. festival debut at the 11th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival on Saturday, October 17 at 8PM at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills.

Directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Susan Steinberg, MIRRORS TO WINDOWS: THE ARTIST AS A WOMAN follows the trajectories of three generations of women artists, ages 22 – 82, from the studio to the gallery, giving a rare insight into the lives of ten artists working across diverse mediums, united by an enduring belief in themselves and their work. While the artists hail from Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, the UK and United States, MIRRORS TO WINDOWS weaves their unique perspectives in art to tell the multi-faceted story of an artist’s life.

Filmed over a period of three years, director Steinberg takes the audience on a fast paced yet intimate journey behind the gallery walls to reveal the dynamic nature of this enigmatic calling. Taking advantage of both her 30- year career in documentary filmmaking and her training as a psychotherapist, Steinberg delivers a lively and attentive portrait of ten courageous and dedicated artists, who stories are universal.

“In ‘Mirrors to Windows’ my aim was to make an intimate film about an artist’s life, a film that would leave the audience feeling they were dropping into the artists’ studio," Steinberg says. "With ten main characters, this was not an easy task, yet those who have viewed the film have commented on its intimacy, which was accomplished by a long production schedule."

She spent three years filming characters in their studios preparing for and setting up their exhibitions and developing close relationships with each and every one of them. To create an environment that would lend itself to intimacy, for the first time she shot the studio material herself.

Susan Steinberg is an Emmy award-winning writer, director and producer, best known for her work on the PBS series “American Masters” where she produced and directed documentaries on Paul Simon, Edward R. Murrow and Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records. She began her career as an editor on “Gimme Shelter” and on Robert Frank’s notorious film, “Cocksucker Blues.”

According to New Yorker Magazine writer and theater critic John Lahr: “Susan Steinberg has made a terrific, probing documentary about international female visual artists. She follows ten artists, well chosen both for their work ad their personalities, in a cunningly, well- organized fashion. It’s an extremely well-told, full length film that I admire.”

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Seven Characters of Abuse
Carolyn and Tanya Brown are passionate about helping women to identify the seven characters of abuse. The authors make it clear that domestic abuse begins with these behaviors which even though they aren’t physical, they are abusive and hurtful. These actions can be independent behaviors or lead to physical abuse. In either case, they are about power and control not about healthy love. By sharing real life examples of women in these relationships, the authors hope readers will identify and by presenting questions and journal pages, the authors continue the process of identification and reflection. Many women may want to change their situation and this book will help them with that decision including the continuous emphases on doing so safely. Carolyn has been grateful for the experience of co-authoring this book because she hopes that it will help women who may not even realize they are victims of abuse.

From Fright to Might – Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

My colleagues at Mt. San Antonio College and I wrote a textbook for the sometimes dreaded Speech 1A – Public Speaking class.

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Jerry Seinfeld

More than 60,000 students have used that book which teaches the principles of public speaking along with strong suggestions for overcoming fear and discovering the power of effective public speaking. (ISBN 9781884155444, 7TH edition, 2012, paperback, 293 pages)

School Watch

This is a column which appears each month in the Irvine Community News & Views.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Carolyn Inmon and Tanya Brown have been working together since 2009. Bringing different personalities, skills and backgrounds to the relationship, they work well together because they listen respectfully to each other and are both passionately dedicated to the prevention of domestic abuse and the creation and maintenance of loving relationships.

During their collaboration, Tanya has earned her B.A. and M.A. in psychology and Carolyn has done a great deal of research on domestic abuse, power and control. Many speeches have been written during that time including such topics as never giving up, teaching as community service, leadership, power and control, and one of Tanya’s personal favorites – wellness.

Their primary mission is the eradication of abuse and they are adamant about getting the word out to domestic abuse victims and predators. Towards this goal, they have written the book, “Seven Characters of Abuse – Domestic Violence – Where It Starts and Where It Can End.” Plans are to write a series of books on this and similar topics.

SHORT SYNOPSIS
On the eve of a rebel uprising in a dystopian underground society, one miner finds the key to freedom and attempts to escape before the hostile government kills him first.

LONG SYNOPSIS
HELIO is a short, visceral film centered on a post-apocalyptic underground society where miners work for light to survive. But when a dying rebel thrusts the unexpected onto an unassuming worker’s lap, all hell breaks loose. What begins as one man’s race to escape the hostile government quickly escalates into a city-wide uprising of the people.

LOS ANGELES - PRO-ANA, a short film written by and starring Shawn Kathryn Kane and directed by Ward Roberts, will make its Los Angeles premiere in the upcoming 11th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival. The film, a searing look at the deadly condition known as “body dysmorphia”, will screen on Thursday, October 15 at the Laemmle’s Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills at 2pm.

The Award of Merit winner for Film Short at the recent Accolade Global Film Competition and winner of Best Social Commentary at the Action on Film Festival, PRO-ANA tells the story of Dylan, a young woman caught in the downward spiral of anorexia, who seeks escape from the cult of pro-ana, whose adherents deify body dysmorphia and live by a strict doctrine of disordered eating. This lifestyle is guided by standardized rules, iconography and mantras like the Ana Creed:
I believe in Control...
I believe in perfection and strive to attain it.
I believe in salvation through starvation.
I believe in hell, because I sometimes think that I'm living in it.
For Dylan to recover and build a healthy new life she must lose everyone she cares for - even at the risk of her own life.

PRO-ANA was largely inspired by a-social media campaign #ThePowerWithin, a forum for body dysmorphics and disordered eaters in recovery. The film aims to shine a light on the growing and pervasive “pro-ana” subculture through a story of strength and self-reclamation.

Director Ward Roberts was stunned when he discovered the facts behind the subculture’s surge in popularity. “When Shawn sent along the shooting script for PRO-ANA, I was equal parts fascinated and horrified. The reality of such a community existing in today’s society seemed impossible,” says Roberts. “Body dysmorphia is a disease. A disease that needs a much greater understanding so those in its grip have the absolute best chance of breaking free. I hope this film will instill in its audience an awareness of pro-ana, leading to a constructive dialogue on how best to help those who are afflicted.”

Writer Kane agrees, explaining that “Pro-ana struck me very clearly as a religion, a cult more specifically, and that’s how it’s treated in our film. Body dysmorphia is a mental disorder. Logic doesn’t enter into it. It takes tremendous strength to decide to free yourself. Only then can you begin to recover. That is the story we wanted to tell.”

Shawn Kathryn Kane started acting and writing at the age of five. She's a graduate of New York University’s TISCH School of the Arts and the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, currently studying with Ivana Chubbuck. Recent writing endeavors include The Young & The Restaurant, an Instagram "cellenovela," Apocalypse Wow, an hour-long comedy-drama series, and Noirmare, a short film that won the Grand Prize at its festival debut at Action on Film and continues to do well on the festival circuit.

Ward Roberts is the creative mind behind two critically acclaimed feature films and countless music videos, webisodes, short films and commercials. His hilarious yet disturbing cult smash feature film Dust Up with Amber Benson played in more than 20 cities and was released in more than 100 million homes via virtually
every major digital platform, as well as on DVD in major retailers. Ward’s first feature, Little Big Top starring the iconic Sid Haig, was released theatrically to rave reviews and is currently available on Amazon and Netflix as well as on DVD.

LOS ANGELES - PRO-ANA, a short film written by and starring Shawn Kathryn Kane and directed by Ward Roberts, will make its Los Angeles premiere in the upcoming 11th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival. The film, a searing look at the deadly condition known as “body dysmorphia”, will screen on Thursday, October 15 at the Laemmle’s Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills at 2pm.

The Award of Merit winner for Film Short at the recent Accolade Global Film Competition and winner of Best Social Commentary at the Action on Film Festival, PRO-ANA tells the story of Dylan, a young woman caught in the downward spiral of anorexia, who seeks escape from the cult of pro-ana, whose adherents deify body dysmorphia and live by a strict doctrine of disordered eating. This lifestyle is guided by standardized rules, iconography and mantras like the Ana Creed:
I believe in Control...
I believe in perfection and strive to attain it.
I believe in salvation through starvation.
I believe in hell, because I sometimes think that I'm living in it.
For Dylan to recover and build a healthy new life she must lose everyone she cares for - even at the risk of her own life.

PRO-ANA was largely inspired by a-social media campaign #ThePowerWithin, a forum for body dysmorphics and disordered eaters in recovery. The film aims to shine a light on the growing and pervasive “pro-ana” subculture through a story of strength and self-reclamation.

Director Ward Roberts was stunned when he discovered the facts behind the subculture’s surge in popularity. “When Shawn sent along the shooting script for PRO-ANA, I was equal parts fascinated and horrified. The reality of such a community existing in today’s society seemed impossible,” says Roberts. “Body dysmorphia is a disease. A disease that needs a much greater understanding so those in its grip have the absolute best chance of breaking free. I hope this film will instill in its audience an awareness of pro-ana, leading to a constructive dialogue on how best to help those who are afflicted.”

Writer Kane agrees, explaining that “Pro-ana struck me very clearly as a religion, a cult more specifically, and that’s how it’s treated in our film. Body dysmorphia is a mental disorder. Logic doesn’t enter into it. It takes tremendous strength to decide to free yourself. Only then can you begin to recover. That is the story we wanted to tell.”

Shawn Kathryn Kane started acting and writing at the age of five. She's a graduate of New York University’s TISCH School of the Arts and the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, currently studying with Ivana Chubbuck. Recent writing endeavors include The Young & The Restaurant, an Instagram "cellenovela," Apocalypse Wow, an hour-long comedy-drama series, and Noirmare, a short film that won the Grand Prize at its festival debut at Action on Film and continues to do well on the festival circuit.

Ward Roberts is the creative mind behind two critically acclaimed feature films and countless music videos, webisodes, short films and commercials. His hilarious yet disturbing cult smash feature film Dust Up with Amber Benson played in more than 20 cities and was released in more than 100 million homes via virtually
every major digital platform, as well as on DVD in major retailers. Ward’s first feature, Little Big Top starring the iconic Sid Haig, was released theatrically to rave reviews and is currently available on Amazon and Netflix as well as on DVD.

Tickets for the LA Femme International Film Festival screenings can be purchased online at www.lafemme.org. PRO-ANA will screen on Thursday, October 15, 2PM at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

For more information on the film, please visit the website www.proanathefilm.com. For interviews with the filmmakers, please contact Deborah Gilels of LA Media Consultants at 818-758-6509.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

CAST:
Michael Kenneth WilliamsSYNOPSIS:
The Devil challenges a young man to a game of basketball. The stakes? What is in the Devil's bag against the young man's soul.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Nicholas Julius is an award-winning screenwriter, published poet and novel writer. He started his career in stand-up comedy, opening and headlining with Kevin James, Kevin Meaney and many comics on Long Island. He is currently acting and writing with many projects in various stages of development. Nicholas’s animated, family script, “The Mythfitz,” is currently up for a Nicholl's Fellowship, sponsored by the Oscars. The script was top 5 at the Page awards, won “Best family script” at the KIDSFIRST F “Best family script” at the The Beverly Hills Film Festival, won the Aloha Accolade Award, for Best script, and was top 5 at The International Family Film Festival.

At 9:30am pst, The Magic Shoes, Film School Student Block, with Dir./Writer Sahand Nikoukar

CAST:
Milad Eghbali, Sahar Bibiyan, Dariush Kashani, Marshall Manesh

SYNOPSIS:
Nine-year-old Iranian immigrant Kamron can’t seem to fit into the culture of early 90s Los Angeles, forcing him to wonder, is it the shoes?ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:Sahand Nikoukar is of Iranian descent, but was born in Berlin, Germany and moved to Southern California with his family at an early age. He received a BA from UC Berkeley in Film and Theater and an MFA in Film and Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His graduate thesis film, “The Magic Shoes,” is currently on the festival circuit and is the recipient of two Awards of Merit at the Accolade Global Competition, the Grand Festival Prize - Student Visionary at the Berkeley Video & Film Festival, a Special Mention at the Los Angeles Lift-Off Festival, and has screened at many other international film festivals including TIFF Kids, the Starz Denver Film Festival, Carmel International Film Festival, and the LA Shorts Fest. Sahand is currently a part-time Lecturer at the University of Southern California while writing and developing feature film projects.

TIME:
9:15am pst with Director Vanessa Block discussing "The Testimony" at the Laguna Film Festival!

FILM:
The Testimony, Documentary - Director - Vanessa Block

SYNOPSIS:
THE TESTIMONY chronicles the largest rape trial in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, offering a glimpse into the lives of its women and the unshakable strength of the human spirit

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
Vanessa Block is a graduate of Yale University where she received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She earned a Master of Science in International Medicine from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. This is her first film.

Taking Flight - Director -Brandon Oldenberg was out sick unfortunately, but Wendell Riley, the Associate Producer, took over to chat with me about the film.

CAST: Asher Blinkoff, Kevin Rahm, Ray Wise

SYNOPSIS:

Taking Flight is a short film inspired by the life and heritage of Antonio Pasin, inventor of the Radio Flyer wagon. In this fictional tribute to Pasin’s legacy, what begins as a small boy’s over-scheduled, over supervised, boring day with Grandpa turns into a larger-than-life journey, narrowly escaping wild monkeys and battling aliens to save the universe. Through the power of imagination and epic adventure, a boy learns to be a kid, a father learns to be a dad, and a grandpa reminds all of us what childhood is all about.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Brandon Oldenburg is an award-winning illustrator, designer, sculptor and film director. After co-founding Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana, he won an Academy Award® for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, an animated short film about the curative powers of story. He has also received an Emmy Award for his directorial work on The Scarecrow, a film and game experience for Chipotle Mexican Grill, which garnered over 14 million views on YouTube. His other recent film projects include an Annie Award nominated short based on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, The Raven; a Emmy Award winning film collaboration with Dolby Laboratories featuring Mr. Morris Lessmore, Silent and a film adaptation of The Numberlys, a Webby Award winning app and bestselling picture book published by Moonbot Studios.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Miss Morten Forland on today's show? Listen here!Director/Writer - Morten Forland joined me Monday at 9:45am pst to talk about his Sci-fi/Fantasy Total Awesome Viking Power!
Morten has been making movies in his neighbor’s backyards in Norway since he was 12 years old. From Star Wars homages to action thriller about gamers, he has developed a unique style of telling the comedic stories of various subcultures while remaining true to their core values.

SYNOPSIS
When Viking role player Vidar is sidelined to &quot;the land of the dead&quot; he seeks help of the god Odin, who agrees to teach Vidar the ways of the Vikings if he takes him to a mystical Runestone. Together they embark on a journey that will test Vidar’s wits, bravery and his ability to go completely berserk

Total Awesome Viking Power will be showing at the Laguna Beach Film Festival coming up the weekend of October 16th.

ABOUT THE FILM FESTIVAL
The Laguna Film Festival, a festival of short films which takes place Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, is proud to announce the film line-up for the inaugural festival. Created as a platform for young and emerging filmmakers, the response has been overwhelming, having received over 1000 submissions, representing 69 countries.

LFF was founded by Austin Fickman, an ambitious 18-year-old who has been making films since the age of eight and competing in film festivals for nearly as long. "The quality of film submissions we received were outstanding," said Fickman. "I'm thrilled about the program we've put together and believe people will be glad they attended. For me, filmmaking is a passion and I'm excited about being able to share this experience with the Laguna community, festival attendees and my peers."

The LFF will present three days of activities, including select films being shown in competition, plus some of Hollywood's top professionals engaging in panel discussions covering a wide range of topics important to emerging filmmakers. The panels and panelists will be announced soon.

Miss Matt Hausmann on today's show? Listen here!Had a great show featuring Director/Writer Matt Hausmann chatting about his comedy, The Bigfoot Hunters!ABOUT MATT HAUSMANN
Matt has been working in film since 1996. He has done props, production designing, art direction, graphics, set dressing and art department on such shows as Interstellar, American Splendor, True Blood, Medium, Divergent, State of Affairs, Flags of our Fathers, and The Prestige to name a few. This is the fifth short written/directed by Matt. Other writing/directing projects coming down the pipeline are a webseries, "The Asshole", a TV show, "The Chronic Masterdater", a feature length version of "The Bigfoot Hunters and a feature, "Empty Clips."

SYNOPSIS
The president of the USA has been kidnapped by Bigfoot! Now, a group of misfits must bond together and form an alliance to eliminate their worst fear and save mankind.

The Laguna Film Festival, a festival of short films which takes place Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, is proud to announce the film line-up for the inaugural festival. Created as a platform for young and emerging filmmakers, the response has been overwhelming, having received over 1000 submissions, representing 69 countries.

LFF was founded by Austin Fickman, an ambitious 18-year-old who has been making films since the age of eight and competing in film festivals for nearly as long. "The quality of film submissions we received were outstanding," said Fickman. "I'm thrilled about the program we've put together and believe people will be glad they attended. For me, filmmaking is a passion and I'm excited about being able to share this experience with the Laguna community, festival attendees and my peers."

The LFF will present three days of activities, including select films being shown in competition, plus some of Hollywood's top professionals engaging in panel discussions covering a wide range of topics important to emerging filmmakers. The panels and panelists will be announced soon.

Ron Judkins, two-time Academy Award® winner for his sound work on Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan, joins me on today's show! And just recently, he wrote and directed, Finding Neighbors, which just screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Filmmaking is Ron's passion, and Finding Neighbors is his second independent feature film as a writer and director. It's the story of a formerly acclaimed graphic novelist who goes looking for true connection outside of his marriage and... over the fence. It has often been described as a "coming of age film for middle-age."

This film has screened at several festivals around the country, always to very enthusiastic audiences. Recently it won "Best of Festival" at the Richmond International Film Festival in Virginia. Finding Neighbors just premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival!

This is a film that was made on a shoe-string by friends and neighbors in the Atwater Village area of Los Angeles. The creation of the movie is a great story about how a small group of people with a vision can pull off a miracle -- against all odds. It stars Academy Award® nominated Michael O'Keefe (The Great Santini, Michael Clayton, Caddyshack), Catherine Dent (TV's The Shield, 21 Grams) and Sean Patrick Thomas (Save The Last Dance).

ABOUT FINDING NEIGHBORS

FINDING NEIGHBORS is a comedic drama about the relationships that develop between three sets of next-door neighbors as they explore creativity, aging, mortality, sexuality, and friendship.

Plot Outline

Finding Neighbors is a comedic drama about LA neighbors searching for true connection.
Six months late on a book delivery, once famous graphic novelist Sam Tucker has succumbed to a mid-life crisis. Instead of writing, he immerses himself in ice cream, television, and encounters with the provocative girl-next- door, Sherrie.

But it’s the unlikely friendship that Sam develops with another neighbor, Jeff, that finally begins to reconnect Sam with his creative thread… yet also unravels his home life.

As his wife Mary becomes suspicious about his mysterious metamorphosis, Sam may lose the one thing he has never doubted: his marriage.
For more info, visit: